Whenever we are listening to music, we prefer to listen to it using headphones because it’s a totally different experience. However, if the headphone that we are using is cheaper or of low quality that usually comes with mp3 players, we cannot get the experience we desire. Whether we are at home or going somewhere, we never forget to bring our headphones with us because most of our time is spent listening to music; one reason for it is that music relaxes us. Whenever we feel exhausted, a dose of a track or two brings us back to our normal senses, and we feel encouraged again.
However, if we are using headphones that are of low quality, instead of giving us relaxation, these headphones can cause pain in our heads. Thus, if you want to enjoy music to its fullest, a carefully selected pair of headphones is a necessity.
We have created a complete guide that will help you in choosing the perfect headphone
Form Factor
There are different forms of headphones and you must have a clear idea of all these forms before you buy a new headphone.
Earbuds
Earbuds are also called in-ear headphones because they go inside your ears. You must be familiar with the Earbuds because some cheaper earbuds come with mp3 players or iPods. Earbuds are also of different types; some of these just sit in the bowls of your ear, while others go fairly deep inside the ear cavity.
The best thing about earbuds is that they are very easy to carry because of their small size. These earbuds are the number one choice for persons who use headphones on the go. The in-ear variants of these earbuds are also good because they give you isolation from the outside noise especially if you are traveling on a bus or on an airplane. These earbuds are also the number one choice for those who wear glasses because around-the-ear headphones are difficult to use for them.
However, you might be able to get a pretty beautiful pair of earbuds, but you won’t get that outstanding quality that over-the-ear headphones can offer you. Many people also consider earbuds uncomfortable – especially in-the-ear variants because they also cause irritation. You may also experience falling down of these earbuds from your ears when you are using them.
Ear Pad Headphones
When people weren’t aware of the iPod, Earpads were much more common and popular as well because they have some very good qualities. These earpads do not cover your entire ear, rather the part of your ears. These are also considered as the open model of headphones because when you are using these, you can listen to some outside noise and at the same time persons sitting beside you can also hear a little sound of what you are listening to.
Earpads are also considered comfortable because they sit only on the outer surface of your ears without pinching or twisting your ears, and thus cause no irritation. The open-back construction is very nice and it is perfect for using while you are exercising because you can hear a little outer noise as well this way. These earpads are also portable and you can take them anywhere you want.
The earpads are comfortable to use and are portable as well, but you can’t use them at places where there is too much noise because they don’t provide you complete isolation from the outside noise. You cannot use them in an extremely silent area – like a library – because a person sitting beside you will be able to hear all the music. Earpads also come in closed models, but still, they aren’t as effective as closed full-sized headphones.
Full-Size Headphones
Full-size headphones contain ear cups that surround your head completely. They are comparatively larger than other headphones and come in both open and close varieties. Because of their large size, these full-size headphones are ideal to use at home.
Three things that people enjoy most in full-sized headphones are outstanding bass, clarity of sound, and isolation from the outside noise. Because of larger padding, they also fit comfortably on most people’s heads.
For most people, full-sized headphones are very uncomfortable to use because they aren’t portable and because of their big size, you can’t take them anywhere you want. These big-sized earphones can also make your ear hot. Many people with big heads also don’t prefer these full-sized headphones.
Specialty Features
Having known all about the shape forms, you must be able to decide for yourself which headphone is best for you. The shape isn’t the only thing; there are other things as well that you need to consider before buying a headphone.
Noise Cancellation
The best thing about the sound cancellation devices is that they get a sample of the noise around you and create an inverted version of that sound in your ear, canceling all the effects of the outer noise. These headphones are highly effective but you should also keep in mind that these headphones are also very expensive. Noise cancellation headphones come in earpad and full-sized models; if you want the best results, you should choose full-sized models.
Noise Isolation
Noise isolation is often mixed with noise cancellation, but these aren’t the same things. While noise cancellation devices produce inverted noise to cancel the effect, noise isolation devices do so by creating a physical seal outside your ears, so that no sound from the outside comes in your ear. Noise isolation devices can also work effectively, and these devices don’t need any batteries as well, so you can get these models at cheaper prices.
Wireless
The term wireless is self-explanatory and wireless headphone means those headphones which don’t have any wire. You can use these headphones by connecting them with your mobile via Bluetooth. You cannot only hear music with the help of this wireless device, but you can also pause and resume tracks with the help of these. The one problem with these headphones is that you will have to recharge them very often, or you will have to replace their batteries.
These wireless headphones can also get some interference from other wireless devices like cord phones. Apart from all these things, the sound quality of these headphones is also low as compared to the wired headphones. These headphones also come in both big and portable versions. However, these headphones have their own utility; they are best when you are doing some exercise and don’t want extra wires to disturb you.
How to Test Headphones
As you are aware of all the details of the headphones, but still you can’t just order headphones online because you need to check them before you finally order to buy them. Here are a few ways that will help you in testing headphones before you buy them
Reading Online Reviews
Reading online reviews is the best way to narrow down your choice to a few models, and to see whether some particular headphone has a certain issue.
Where to Buy
Since it is very important that you check the headphones before you buy them, therefore online shopping is the last option. You can visit many local stores where you can first check the quality of the sound of different headphones and then you can buy them. If you are ordering online, make sure that the website is reliable and gives a money-back guarantee. If you don’t find any local stores nearby and you are interested in buying headphones online then you should consider visiting Groupon, which offers you many quality headphones at much-discounted prices.
Durability and Warranty
Durability and warranty are things worth considering because you don’t want to spend too much money on headphones that are not reliable enough and are likely to break in a few months. Check before buying whether the headphones are durable or not. Also, check for a warranty because there are many reputed companies which give a one or two-year warranty.
Comfort
Also, keep in mind that how comfortable the headphones are when you check them. For this purpose, try putting on headphones that you want to buy for more than 15 minutes because how you feel in the first five minutes is very different from how you feel after an hour. Sadly, you won’t certainly be able to sit in the store for more than one hour; therefore, using a headphone for fifteen minutes will give you an idea about the comfort of these headphones.
All these things will help you to decide what headphones you should choose and what not. It depends on many factors; primarily, you should consider the shape, and then you should consider the place where you will be using your headphones. The exact specification of the place will help you decide whether you should choose sound cancellation headphones or sound isolation headphones. Finally, you should also consider practical things like whether the headphones are durable or not.